Thread tension mechanism



May 17, 1949. o, YOUNG 2,470,123

THREAD TENSION MECHANISM Filed Dec. 26', 1946 1 INVEINTORQ I G zsor qeYoung,

ATTORN EY;

Patented May 17, 1949 STATES ATENT FFICE THREAD TENSION MECHANISMApplication December 26, 1946, Serial No. 718,487

1 Claim.

As is well known in the art, the thread extending from the warp beam tothe thread guides and needles of a Warp knitting machine does not remainunder constant tension during the knitting cycle but slacks and drawstaut accordingly as the operation of the needles and guides. Variousmethods and means have heretofore been devised to overcome this and putthe thread under a constant and uniform tension at all times.

Most methods heretofore proposed and with which I am familiar have notproven entirely satisfactory.

The object of my present invention is to provide a positively drivenmeans of such construction as to keep the thread between the 'beam andthe thread guide taut at all times, i. e. taking up slack and releasingit as required by the operations of the needles and guides. To this endmy invention, in its general aspect, comprises a positively drivendrum-like body having a multitude of parallel annularly dispersedradially adjustable bars over which the thread from the beam passes tothe needle, the bars being adjusted to allow for the slacking of thethread at any point desired in the cycle of the machines operation andthereby maintain the same tension on the thread at all times.

The present invention further resides in the novel details ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will befirst fully described and then be specifically pointed out in theappended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in whichFig. 1 is a cross section on the line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a warp knitting machine showing myinvention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view hereinafter again referred to.

In the drawing in which like numerals of reference indicate like partsin all the figures, I represents the frame of the machine, 2 a warpbeam, 3 a racking bar carrying thread guides 4, and 5 indicates fixedlypositioned guide rods over beam to the thread guides.

posed faces.

2 screws Ill pass through radial slots E2 in the discs I and enable theindividual rods 9 to be spaced a greater or lesser distance from theaxis rotation of the shaft 6 as may be required.

The shaft 6 is driven in any suitable manner at a constant speed intimed relation with the operation of the needles and thread guides inperforming the knitting function.

The large number of rods 9 employed, enable a corresponding variety ofadjustments to be made so as to take care of any condition met with inpractice and make the use of spring-mounted tension rods unnecessary.The rods 9 are individually adjusted toward or from the axis 6 accordingto the slacks given the thread at different times in a cycle ofoperation, so as to take up the slack at the proper times and accordingto the degree of such slack.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing it is thought the construction, operation and advantages of myinvention will be clear to those skilled in the art and I wish to saythat while my device is especially adapted to knitting machines it mayalso be found useful in other fields where positive let-off tensions arerequired.

What I claim is:

A thread take-up device comprising a rotatable shaft, discs on saidshaft, a plurality of rods mounted on said discs parallel to said shaft,and means by which said rods may be individually adjusted to greater orlesser distances from said shaft, and. said means including radialgrooves in the discs into which the ends of said rods set, and capscrews passing through radial slots in said discs into the ends of saidrods.

GEORGE O. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numb 1 which the thread T passes in its travelfrom the 32 b 1913 The device which const1tutes the essential part 2 399403 s 1 122 A p r of my invention is located between the positions n ofthe two fixed guide rods 5 and comprises a FOREIGN PATENTS shaft 6carrying discs 7 spaced apart along the Number Country t shaft andhaving radial grooves 8 on their on- 6332 Great Britain 1905 The grooves8,1ece1vqthe ends of 473,667 Great Britain Oct. 18,1937 guide rods 9which are radially ad ustably held 490,333 Great Britain 13 1936 inplace by cap screws l0 and washers II. The

